Wagon-tongue support.



P. E. PARKER.

WAGON TONGUE SUPPORT.

, APPLICATION FILED MAY 20, 1915.

1,170,098; Patented Feb. 1, 1916.

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Witnesses Inventor mzjaw WgWM/i/ %a/w6- Mat realm. nnn n nn or WINCHESTER, Kansas.

WAGON-TONGUE surron'r.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PEARL E. Pan nn, a citizen of the U ited States, residing at Winchester, in the countyof Jefferson and State of Kansas, have invented certain new a d useful. Improvem nts i Wagon-T ngu Supports, of which the following is a specification. My invention is a device adapted to be attached to the axle and to the tongue for supporting a wagon tongue in proper position, for limiting the vertical range of movement of the tongue, and for cushioning the vertical swinging of the tongue in order to relieve the draft animals from the ordinary jerking. And my invention comprises the parts, improvements, and combinations hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification and in the description of the drawings, I have shown my invention in its preferred form and what I deem to be the best mode of applying the principles thereof; but it is to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, I contemplate changes in form, proportions, and materials, the transposition of parts, and the substitution of equivalent members, without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Figure 1 is a vertical central sectional elevation of an attachment made in accordance with the principles of my invention, showing the axle and wagon tongue, certain parts being shown in elevation. Fig. 2 is a side elevation. Fig. 3 is a plan view. Fig. 4 is a rear end view.

Similar reference characters indicate similar parts throughout the several views.

A pipe or cylinder 5 is formed with a centrally disposed transverse partition 6 and also with elongated transversely disposed plates or flanges 7 and 8 at right angles to each other to engage against the bottom and front of the axle and adapted to be secured thereto by means of screws or bolts through holes 10 and 11.

4 is a rod in the cylinder, extending movably through the partition and threaded at both ends. One end is screwed into the head 12 and the other through the head 13, both of said heads having free motion lengthwise of the cylinder.

14 is a nut and 15 a set-screw for hold- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 1,

Application filer l 'May 20, 1 315. Serial I To. 29,282.

ing, the head 13 in proper positionhon the redlGand 17 are tw'o springs in the cylinder onopposite sides of the partition and hearing bet-ween the partition and the respect ve heads having. the function; of: holding the rod in a central position under the balanced tension of the springs and of returning the rod to that position when relieved from any force displacing it.

To the head 12, at 18, is pivoted a rod or link 19, whose forward end is bifurcated, as shown at 20, and provided with a spanning bolt 21 which passes through a slot 22 in a block 23 secured to the wagon tongue 24: by any suitable means, as by bolts 25. The block is centrally recessed as indicated at 26, to accommodate a latch 28 pivoted to the block at 27 and provided with a handle 29. Under tension of the spring 30, the latch normally holds the bolt 21 at the rear end of the slot, in which position, the tongue is controlled by the supporting device. If,

however, it is desired to relieve the tongue from that device, as to let the tongue down on the ground, the handle 29 is pressed upwardly to release the bolt 21 from the latch, so that the tongue will be free to swing down to the ground. Upon again raising the tongue, the bolt will slip back of the latch automatically and thus bring the supporting device into effect.

It will be understood from the foregoing that the springs will operate to give a cushioning effect to any vertical movement of the tongue, will restore the tongue to central position, and will relieve the draft animals from the usual jerking. In practice, the forward spring 17 may be stronger than the other, in order to compensate for the weight put upon it by the tongue.

What I claim is:

1. A wagon-tongue support comprising the combination of a casing formed for attachment to a wagon-axle, a rod and heads mounted in the casing and having movement lengthwise of the wagon, oppositely disposed springs bearing against said heads and casing, a block adapted to be secured to a wagon-tongue and formed with a slot extending lengthwise of the wagon-tongue, a rod connected at one end with said heads and first-named rod and extending at the other end through said slot, and a latch mounted in said blockfor retainingsaid last-named rodin; the rearward-end ofthe slot and adapted to free it therefrom at will in order to relieve the Wagon-tongue from the effect of said springsj 2. A wagon-tongue support comprising the combination of a casing formed for attachment to a wagon-axle, a rod and heads mounted in the casing and having movement lengthwise of the wagon, opposed springs bearing against said casing and said respective heads, a block adapted to be secured to the wagon-tongue and formed with a transverse slot extending lengthwise of the wagon tongue, a bolt extending transversely through said slot, va rod connected at one end with the first-named rod ,.ancl.-. at the other it and freeing it from saidvbolte In testimony whereof I have 'afiixed my slgnature in presence of two Witnesses.

- EA L A KER Witnesses:

HENRY G. SIOKEL, JAooB DoLD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

- V v Washington,-D. G.- 4 a end with said bolt, and a latch pivotally 

